When I was younger (probably second grade but maybe third), I read her book Wait Til Helen Comes. It's still one of the creepiest books I've ever read. This novel isn't really like that; The Girl in the Locked Room is far more sad than terrifying. (Much like the novel and film of Carrie, as it happens.)

There's a lot to discuss here (the idea of alternate universes; exactly what happened to Lily; can houses hold memories?) but this book is also just an incredibly fun (if heartbreaking) time. It was also really nice to spend some time in Mary Downing Hahn's imagination.

If you haven't read her yet, this is a fun place to start...but don't forget to visit Helen, too.

Recommended.

This is a great ghost story for young middle grade readers. Often times my students want to be scared, but not too scared and this book is perfect! A young girl moves to a long forgotten house because her father is restoring it. She starts seeing people that no one else can see and is unnerved. With the help of a new friend, they work together to figure out what the ghost girl needs and how to help her.

I love Mary Downing Hahn’s ghost stories and I recommend them all the time to students who are looking for a good scare. This story is great for kids who want a little bit of scary, but not too much. I would recommend for readers in grades 4th-7th.

I read the first half of this book as a read aloud and kids were begging for me to finish it, for them to borrow it, or let them know who to get it. The first two chapters are excellent attention grabbers and could be used as a mentor text in "hooking" the reader's attention. The rest of the books is action packed and an excellent mystery. The man character Jules is realistic and relatable.
#TheGirlintheLookedRoom

Whenever a student asks me for a scary story I always direct them to Mary Downing Hahn’s book, she always delivers and I have never been disappointed by one of her books. I am looking forward to adding this one to the collection and book talking to the kids. This is a middle grade book, but would be enjoyed by anyone of any age. And I must say that cover is just perfect. It will catch your eye and make you want to pick it up!

For such a short book (200 pgs.) it packs a lot into it. The characters are not as well developed as I would like, but they are all very likable girls. The story is told from Jules’s and Lily’s perspectives. Jules is a delightful young lady who yearns to live in one place and not be constantly moving around. Her dad’s job, restoring old homes and buildings keeps them on the move. She has a pretty good relationship with her parents which was nice to see. Jules is a perceptive child and although she claims she has never seen a ghost, she gets feelings from the buildings that her father works on. From the start this new house gives her the creeps.

“Even from a distance, I knew something bad had happened in that house. Maybe it was the crows perched in a line on the roof, maybe it was the utter desolation of the scene, but the word foreboding came to mind, along with haunted, misery, and sorrow. It was the perfect setting for a ghost story.”

But she soon becomes fascinated with the girl she sees in the window and wants to help her. On a trip to the town library she meets Maisie, a fellow book worm obsessed with Diana Wynne Jones and her Chronicles of Chrestomanci books which she convinces Jules to read. They bond quickly over books and Maisie agrees to help her. I liked Maisie and their friendship although it does happen a bit fast.

The Girl, or Lily as we eventually learn, has a very sad history. You almost instantly feel sorry for her and want to help her. Her story is told in short burst which keeps you interested in the story and wanting to know what happened to her. She ends up being a very brave girl who is able to change her destiny because of that.

The plot of what happened to Lily and her family is very sad but the way that Jules and Maisie helps her is quite unique. If you are familiar with Ms. Jones works you might be able to guess how they solve the problem. The ending was also well done and left you satisfied that things worked out for everyone.

Another great scary book by a master ghost story writer. Definitely pick this one up if you need a spooky story to read. Would be perfect for Halloween even though it is set in the summer.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I think that it is perfect for a quick read or for a little jump start to a scary-ish October tar for young readers. The writing did a good job at creating the atmosphere in the novel. The plot was well done and made for a relaxing read with a mystery behind. I think that a lot of people will enjoy this story because of the interesting twist on the classic haunted house story. The characters were a little underdeveloped for me but I think that their personalities worked well with the story. Thank you so much to HMH Books for Young Readers for providing me with a copy of this book!

“There’s something she knows but doesn’t want to know. It hides in the shadows with her, dark and dangerous. She keeps her back to it. She will not face it. But it reaches for her, it whispers.”

When Jules and her parents move into the long-abandoned Oak Hill, it isn’t the first time she’s been frightened by a house. Her father restores old buildings, but Oak Hill’s history is grimmer and more mysterious than most. There’s a room on the third floor that has been locked for over a century, and someone may still be inside it. When Jules makes contact with the ghost of ten-year-old Lily, she wonders whether the past can be changed and Lily and her family can be saved.

I received a free e-ARC through NetGalley from the publishers at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Clarion Books. Full disclosure: I thought I was picking up a YA novel, but The Girl in the Locked Room is more middle grade territory. The two main characters are twelve and ten, and the novel reads like something I would have picked up randomly in the children’s section of the library twenty years ago. This isn’t a mark against it, but I might have reconsidered if I’d known. As a reviewer, I’m not sure what makes a middle grade novel good for middle graders; I can only say whether it’s also entertaining for adults.

In this case, I’d have to go with no. It’s a fast read at only 200 pages, and I read it in under a day, in part because I was eager to get through it. There just isn’t a lot to it, plot-wise. The conflict of the novel isn’t obvious until well after the 50% mark, and as conflicts go, it’s pretty bland and a little nonsensical. I was expecting a ghost story and, instead, I got a poorly explained science fiction multiverse with a side of meager haunting. The alternate dimension angle, or why the characters are able to access it in Oak Hill, is never properly addressed, and in a novel that already includes ghosts, I’m less accepting of yet more Strange Things. Worse, there isn’t an ounce of actual horror in it, since the living characters are never in any real danger.

I’m not fond of the structure either. The chapters alternate between Jules and Lily and, again, there seems to be no reason at all for it until halfway into the novel. Lily’s sections are boring and repetitive, and they take every possible bit of suspense out of the ghost story. She’s obviously harmless, but I’m not convinced Jules has reason to think so as quickly as she does. (Any horror movie will tell you that setting a ghost free from a locked room usually doesn’t end well. Oh, if only the story had gone that way). I can’t think of any adjectives to describe Jules. She’s just there, a vehicle for the story to get where it’s going. I would rate it lower, but I don’t think there’s anything actually wrong with the novel; I’m just not the audience for it.

I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.

As a long time fan of this author’s work (from the age of 9!) I was very excited to have the opportunity to preview another of her wonderful and chilling ghost stories. This book does not disappoint. We are introduced to a young woman who moves into an area adjacent to a run down house where a young girl was locked away in a room 100+ years prior. Very touching and well-written, this book will grab you and not let you go until you finish. It is written as a young adult novel but is rich and creepy enough for any adult to enjoy as well. The characters are multi-faceted and the story is interesting.

When Jules's father is hired to renovate an old structure in a community, she hopes that her family will finally be able to put down roots. When they first arrive, Jules see a mysterious young face in an upstairs window where no one lives. Is it her imagination? Could it be a ghost?
Jules, an adolescent, meets a trustworthy friend, and together they seek out the face they know is there. They become embroiled in a scary situation where alternate universes play a role, adding to the numerous mysteries that they need to solve.
This book will keep older elementary students on the edge of their seats throughout the story. It is bound to be another of Hahn's books in demand.

I love MDH. Her stories never disappoint. This one was creepy and spooky. I will buy for my library!!!

Imagine your dad restores old home, and the one that he is currently working on is haunted. Would you live there? Jules and her parents move into an old, abandoned house while her dad and his crew are renovating it. Jules can see the third floor from the new extension that was build for them to live in. When she sees the pale face of a girl looking out the window on the third floor, she can't believe her eyes. Fear turns to fascination as she begins to learn more and more about the family that lived there over a century ago. When Jules meets a new friend at the library, they both become determined to help this girl and her family that died so long ago. Can Jules and Maisie devise a plan to change to outcome of the devastating events that destroyed this family? Can Jules unlock the third story room and free Lily, a girl that has been trapped in this room for so many years? Read this fantastically scary book to find out (and I would suggest reading with the lights on).

Mary Downing Hahn is the mastermind of scary stories for kids in elementary school and up (even adults!). Her newest book does not disappoint. I cannot wait to introduce this book to my kids this fall!

Jules and her family move to the outskirts of Hillsborough while her father is restoring an old mansion in the middle of the Stonybrook housing development. It's just one in a long series of moves, and there are advantages and disadvantages. While the apartment addition at the back of the mansion is nicer than many of the places the family has moved, Jules wishes they were closer to the amenities of town so she could make friends and do things. Also, the house feels really haunted. Soon, Jules starts seeing the ghost of a young girl, and feels that something is just not right. When she finally talks her mother into taking her to the library in town, she meets a girl her age, Maisie, who share interesting information about the mansion and is glad to hang out with Jules and investigate the house with her. The girls dig deeper, and the girl who is haunting the house, Lily, eventually starts to speak to them. Together, they manage to find out the secret of what happened to Lily and her family, why she haunts the house, and how they can try to make the past different so that Lily can escape her fate.

Strengths: Hahn's books are always very popular in my library, and the covers (after the 1990s) are generally good and scary. The ghost mystery is solid, and somewhat reminiscent of The Doll in the Garden. Interestingly, the part I liked best about this book was the friendship with Maisie, and how Jules started hanging out with her and they both investigate the mystery. I also was glad of the happy ending and the strong family life.
Weaknesses: I was hoping for something a little bit more unusual. There are lots of books where children move into haunted houses and have to help dispatch unhappy ghosts.
What I really think: This reminded my a little of The Secret of Goldenrod. Not as creepy and scary as I hoped, but a good story about moving and being friends with a ghost while solving her mystery.

You just can’t go wrong with one of Mary Downing Hahn’s books. The creepy factor is just right for reading alone at night with the lights out, covers pulled over your head with a flashlight to see the pages. When Jules moves with her parents to a house her dad is renovating, she knows it is haunted. Early on she determines Lily is the ghost’s name. A chance meeting in the town library, and Jules has a new friend, Maisie. Together the two try to help Lily. I’m so appreciative to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to be an early reader in exchange for my fair and honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing a sneak peak into this novel. The historical significance of the house her dad is renovating is one of the things that keeps Jules awake at night. She is seeing things that do not make sense but seem very real. Her discoveries are frightening but sharing them with a friend helps her to deal. Read this book from Mary Downing Hahn, her books never disappoint.

Thanks to Netgalley for me being able to read this ARC.

I have loved every book I've read so far by Mary Downing Hahn. She is one of my go-to authors for spooky stories.

The Girl in the Locked Room is about Lily, a girl from the 1880s and Jules, a girl from present day. Jules' dad is fixing up the old house that Lily and her family lived. Lily has been trapped in the locked room for so many years and she doesn't remember why she is stuck there and Jules wants to help her. Even though Jules is scared (me too) she still needs to find her way up to the third floor. Even with the sound of ghost horses and bad men. Is Jules brave enough to help Lily?

Not as scary as Took: A Ghost Story but still a great story.

I have enjoyed Hahn’s books in the past and looked forward to getting into this new mystery/thriller. Jules is a character that most people can relate to in one way or another. Even if they have never moved, have parents with normal jobs, and enjoy spooky houses, most people have had trouble finding new friends, struggled with their parents over something big or small, and have fears of their own.
I really liked this story and where is went with both Jules and the girl/Lily. Jules story was more about finding herself in a new place while Lily’s was finding out who she actually was. There were wonderful themes of friendship and family that played out well and gave readers hope and joy in a contrastingly dark setting.
I did feel that the plot line with alternate realities was unnecessary or underdone. It was only lightly touched, not fully explained, and then used to save Lily. I thought that they could have used the same tactic, with the same result, and an alternate reality still would not have been needed. To make this work, I would have had to have seen more from Lily’s perspective. I suppose this is a personal feeling and could be loved by others. It is simply a minor flaw in a fantastic novel.
I will always look forward to more writing from Hahn. This one definitely satisfied my thirst for a little spooky mystery.

A ghost story that will not disappoint! This isn’t a time travel story, but rather a story of a girl, Lily, that is stuck between two worlds. Readers will follow Jules and Maisie to find out where Lilly will stay, forever. The pace is quick, never boring. The characters are likable and relatable. I. Looking forward to sharing this with my students. MOST of them will be as brave as Lily and read it to the very end.

I received an advance digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

An atmospheric and ghostly tale of friendship.
Jules and her parents move to the town of Hillsborough so that her dad can work on restoring an old creepy house. Her parents love the house but Jules has uneasy feelings about it. Jules is quite an isolated character who is desperate for friends and to stay in one place for more than a short time.. When she starts to see ghostly scenes from another time and a girl who appears to be locked in the house, she starts to investigate.
This seemed to be a run of the mill ghost story at first but it got better and better and anything with a haunted house is a winner for me if it is written well. I was confused about had happened to the girl but I think that was the point as it slowly becomes clear! I felt empathy for the girl and wanted to know more about her story as she's a desperately lonely and sad character. The friendship that develops is lovely and the events unfold at a good pace whilst the suspense kept me reading. There are some genuinely terrifying parts and I thought the ending was very well crafted.

Jules has never stayed in one place for more than a year because of her dad, who restores historical buildings across the country. She yearns for a permanent home and friends she can grow up with. But when she and her family arrive in Hillsborough, she starts seeing scenes of life from hundreds of years before, and a girl dressed in old fashioned clothing.

The girl has been hiding for years. She’s lonely and sad, and watches Jules in her strange clothes. She wants to go outside too, but every night they come for her...

I enjoyed this ghost story, filled with both sadness and hope. Jules is relatable, as is her brand new friend, Maisie, whom she meets in the library and bonds over fantasy novels. You also can’t help but feel for the mysterious girl in the wardrobe.

Thank you to Clarion Books and Netgalley for an ARC.